Chapter Eighteen
Elias woke up with Lily in his arms. She was actually stretched out on top of him, but one of his arms was flung around her.
From his position, he couldn’t see her face without lifting his head and mayhap waking her. He didn’t want to do that. He wanted to be with her like this a little longer.
Nothing in his life had been, or would ever be better than this.
He felt his heart quicken at the thought of her, the sound of her, the feel of her. Hell, he was going hard. No. It would not be enjoyable for her. She would be sore this morning without him jumping her.
“Elias? Are you awake?”
He gritted his teeth and felt his heart beat even faster. “Aye, love.”
“I can feel your heart beating.”
“’Tis beatin’ fast.”
She nodded and kissed his chest. ”What is it?” she asked, lifting her head to look at him. “Does something alarm you?”
He looked into her sleepy eyes and saw everything he ever wanted. He moved a few stray strands of flaxen hair away from her nose. “I was just thinkin’ aboot how good this moment was, with ye in my arms. My heart went fast on its own.”
“Along with other parts of you,” she whispered.
“Aye, but disregard that. I willna torture my wife fer my pleasure.”
She gasped and covered her mouth then giggled. “Are we truly married, Elias? I mean Brother Simon is only a brother—”
“We didna pledge our lives as one to Simon, but to God,” he reminded her with a loving grin. “There is no one higher than Him.”
His smile went a bit darker an instant later. “And if anyone tries to disclaim it and take ye from me, I will kill them.”
He kissed her forehead and pushed her off him when she tried to snuggle deeper into him. It would lead to no good. Besides, they needed to get moving if they were going to find Bertram and his prisoners before they reached London. That was the plan. Find them before they reached the large city.
They washed in the basin that had been set in the room, and then later again beneath a small waterfall between West Wickham and Beckenham.
He’d been correct; Lily’s body was sore. Even if she hadn’t told him at the waterfall, he would have known by the painful grin on her face while riding.
When they reached Beckenham toward the end of the evening, Elias caught her in his arms when she dismounted and carried her into an inn. Of course, the innkeeper eyed him as if Lily were a rotting corpse. Elias didn’t give a damn.
She was as light as a veil. And the food was getting scarcer.
Elias paid the innkeeper for a hot bath for his wife while he went hunting for some fresh food. The innkeeper was happy to oblige—especially after Elias promised to take the man’s head and the heads of everyone he loved if he tried to do anything foolish with his woman while he was away.
He caught two hares and wanted to get at least two more so that there would be more than enough food for everyone. He didn’t know if there were other guests, but at least it would be enough for the innkeeper to store for food.
He came to the bend of a small river, where a moonlit shaft broke through the canopy. He thought of bringing Lily here in the morning.
He saw something moving in the stream and leaned in to take a closer look.
Bodies. There were bodies floating downstream.
He pulled up his mask and backed away slowly and returned to the inn. He wouldn’t tell Lily what he’d seen, but he didn’t want to go any farther than where they were. London, much more densely populated than the countryside, was going to be like walking into hell. They hadn’t fallen ill yet. Did they chance it? Were they somehow immune? Or were they running out of time?
He only knew that every moment was precious, a gift. Any moment, the disease could strike. He wanted to return to Sevenoaks, but he knew Lily would not give up on little Eddie and his mother. Especially not when they were in the hands of Bertram Chisholm.
They would continue on for another day. If they hadn’t found them by then, they would head back home to Simon and their children. Right now, he would bask in the glory of his wife. His wife! He could scarcely believe it. He, battle-hardened and weary, a man well-known among other soldiers as fearless, but at night, terrified of ghosts,he,he was now in love with a soft, perfect woman.
In the middle of the apocalypse.